Improvement in horse-holders for sleighs



HENRY A. SPRA GUE.

Improvement in Horse Holder for Sleighs'.

No. 119,662, I Patented 0m. 3,1871,

Wing 311mm PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. SPRAGUE, OF CHARLOTTE, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-HOLDERS FOR SLEIGHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,662, dated October 3, 1871.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. SPRAGUE, of Charlotte, in the county of Washington and State of Maine, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Horse Holder and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in Which Figure 1 is a side view of my improved horseholder shown as applied to a sleigh-runner. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish a simple and convenient device for attachment to a sleigh-runner, which shall be so constructed that should the horse start the sleigh will move forward while the holder remains stationary, thus tightening the reins and stopping the horse 5 and it consists in the holder, constructed and operating as hereinafter more fully described.

A is the body or plate of the holder, which has flanges a formed upon its side edges. Upon the edges of the flanges a are formed inwardlyprojecting flanges a thus forming a T-shaped groove in the upper or inner side of the said plate A. The flanges a are designed to enter grooves b in the sides of the lower parts of the runner B, just above the shoe 0. The rear ends of the flanges a are made sharp or are beveled off, to clear the ice or snow from the grooves b. D is a hooked-shaped arm formed upon or rigidly attached to the side of the holder A a a to receive the reins, which are kept in place upon said hook or arm by a spring, E, also attached to the holder A a a and which rests against the point of the hook D. Upon the outer or under surface of the body or plate A is formed a calk, F, which takes hold upon the snow or ice and thus holds the device stationary while the runner may be drawn forward, tightening the reins and stopping the horse.

In using the device it is placed upon the upper end or bend of the runner. The reins are then placed upon the arm or hook D, and the device is allowed to slide down said bend. As the calk F is drawn beneath the runner it is forced into the snow or ice and held stationary while allowing the runner to move forward or backward through it freely, so as when the sleigh is drawn forward to tighten the reins, and slacken them when the sleigh is backed.

To the rear end of the device may be attached the end of a short chain, G, which reaches the roadway before the'block or plate A, so that the runner by running upon the said chain may draw the said device downward.

In case it may be inconvenient to back the sleigh to detach the holder the reins may be detached from the holder and the holder picked up at the rear of the sleigh when the runner has been drawn from it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The device A a a D E F, constructed substantially as herein shown and described, to adapt it for attachment to a sleigh-runner for holding the reins, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a short chain, G, with the holder A a a D E F, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The grooves b, formed in the sides of the runners B just above the shoes 0, to adapt said runners to receive the holder A a a D E F, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY A. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses MERRILL SPRAGUE, ANsEL W. Frsnnn. (22) 

